US 4,027,495 AGranted

Vapor recovery system for volatile liquids and vapor condensing apparatus for use therein

AssigneeEdwards Engineering Corporation

InventorRay C. Edwards

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Abstract

A system and apparatus for condensing and recovering vapors of low volatile liquids such as hydrocarbons utilizes, a cascade cooling arrangement for providing and maintaining a cooling fluid such as methylene chloride at temperatures in a range from -70.degree. F to -110.degree. F which cooling fluid is held in a storage and circulating system; for circulating and recirculating the cooling fluid in heat exchange relationship with the cascade cooling arrangement to maintain the cooling fluid at the desired relatively low temperatures and for passing the cooling fluid through finned sections of a vapor condenser to condense the vapors of the low volatile liquids passed through said vapor condenser; said vapor condenser being operatively associated with a defroster for defrosting the vapor condenser, at regular intervals as required for efficient operation of the system, and a decanter for separating the condensate and water delivered thereto from the system and for removing condensate from the system.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a Vapor Recovery System;

a. a refrigerant cooling means,
b. a storage tank having a cooling medium therein operatively connected to said refrigerant cooling means to maintain said cooling medium at a predetermined reduced temperature, and means for circulating said cooling medium to and from said storage tank,
c. at least one vapor condenser means having, a plurality of finned type cooling coils, said finned typed cooling coils having an inlet connected to said means for circulating said cooling medium to permit cooling medium to be passed to said finned type cooling coils, and an outlet on said finned type cooling coils connected to said circulating means for returning said cooling medium to said storage tank,
d. each vapor condenser having, an inlet means connected to a source of vapor to be condensed, and an outlet port for air, non-condensable gases and uncondensed vapors from said source, and a discharge outlet for the condensate mixture having condensed vapors therein.
e. the finned type cooling coils in each vapor condenser having means to prevent ice forming thereon to block the flow of vapor across said finned type cooling coils,
f. a decanter for separating the liquid components of said condensate, and
g. means connecting the decanter to the discharge outlet for condensate on said vapor condensing means.

4 more elements

Apparatus for condensing and recovery vapors of low volatile liquids such as hydrocarbons includes,

a. a vapor condensing and recovery assembly having an inlet for a mixture of gases and the vapors to be condensed, an outlet for venting air and non-condensible vapors therefrom, means facing a U-shaped flow passage in the vapor condensing and recovery assembly having one end connected to said inlet and the other end connected to the outlet, finned type condensing coils in said U-shaped flow passage, and decanter means for separating and recovering the condensed vapors,
b. means on said finned type condensing coils to control frost build-up in the vapor condensing and recovery system,
c. a refrigerant cooling means having at least one heat exchange means for maintaining a cooling medium at temperatures in a range between -70.degree. F and -100.degree. F,
d. a storage and circulating system for a cooling medium having a storage tank for a cooling mixture, a pumping system for passing cooling medium to the finned type condensing coils in said vapor condensing and recovery assembly, and a second fluid pumping system operatively associated with the fins pumping system to circulate and recirculate the cooling medium to said exchange means for maintaining the cooling medium in the said temperature range.

1 more element

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.